In the four years of River Ridge’s girls basketball program, the Lady Knights may have never seen a player as prolific as Jordan Livesay.

A four-year starter, the shooting guard, scored more than 1,000 points in just her sophomore and junior year combined.

If River Ridge’s inaugural season, in which it played a junior varsity schedule, counted towards the record books, Livesay would have already broken 1,600 points, and she would be on the fast track to breaking 2,000.

As the team’s leader with 14.1 points and 8.0 rebounds per game, as well as a 38-percent shooting percentage from beyond the arc, Livesay has been the Lady Knights’ main offensive outlet so far this season.

Livesay considers it a positive that she is even able to take the court — almost four months ago, she could barely walk.

While participating in a summer basketball camp in August at Wingate University in North Carolina, Livesay broke her ankle while performing a layup.

“The first thing I thought of when it happened was, ‘Oh, no, what will I do about basketball season?” she said.

After two months of twice-weekly physical therapy sessions, and the beginning of the season fast approaching, Livesay was told by her doctor that her ankle was 80-percent healed, and that she would be able to take the court again on a limited basis.

That proved to be all the permission she needed to play.

“As soon as they said I could do a few things, I just got back out there and started playing,” Livesay said. “I couldn’t wait any longer. I had just been out for too long. Getting back out on the court felt awesome, but I knew, right when I got back, that I was going to have to work as hard as I could to catch back up to everyone else.”

Now, two months into the season, it seems that Livesay is getting back to her best.

That’s good news for coach Jason Taylor, who described Livesay as one of the best players — if not the best — that he had coached at the school.

“Night in and night out, she is one of the best players on the court that (River Ridge) has ever seen,” Taylor said. “The team knows that, if the game comes down to a final shot, the ball needs to be in Jordan’s hands. Her teammates look up to her.”

What’s more, Taylor expects Livesay to continue to improve as the season progresses. She’s also focusing on basketball, according to Taylor, after spending time in the past with River Ridge’s softball and track and field programs — the last of which she excelled as a state-qualifying discus thrower.

“She is just now getting back into shape,” Taylor said. “She didn’t do anything with the team from August to Oct. 29, so she is just getting back to where she left off in the summer. I expect for her to keep doing what she is doing and continue moving forward.”

Fortunately for the Lady Knights, Livesay’s return to fitness comes just as the team readies itself for Region 7AAAA (A) play, which starts Tuesday against Pickens.

With winning the region one of the top goals of Livesay’s senior season, the timing couldn’t be better.

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